Qualcomm And Nokia Announce US Mobile Device Collaboration

Qualcomm and Nokia have announced a partnership to develop UMTS S60 handsets for the US market that will be based on Qualcomm's integrated chipsets.  The devices will be based on the Qualcomm MSM7xxx-series and MSM8xxx-series chipsets.

We'll be catching up with Qualcomm later on to find out exactly what special functionality we can expect from the new devices. According to mobile industry professional Sascha Segan, this news doesn't necessarily mean we'll see Nokia CDMA handsets; more likely, Nokia will use Qualcomm as a door-opener to make connections with the US carriers, who traditionally have avoided the S60 platform.  While Nokia are yet to make in-roads with US operators, Qualcomm is a trusted voice in the North American mobile industry.

We can expect to see the first fruits of Qualcomm and Nokia's partnership in mid-2010.  They'll also be compatible with the upcoming Symbian Foundation OS, as announced for the Sony Ericsson Idou.

Press Release:

Nokia and Qualcomm Plan to Develop Advanced Mobile Devices

Advanced Mobile Devices Anticipated to Feature S60 Software and Qualcomm's Integrated Chipsets for a New Level of Mobile Performance

ESPOO, FINLAND AND SAN DIEGO, CALIF. – February 17, 2009 – Nokia and Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) today announced that the two companies are planning to work together to develop advanced UMTS mobile devices, initially for North America. The companies intend for the devices to be based on S60 software on Symbian OS, the world's most used software for smartphones, and utilize Qualcomm's advanced Mobile Station Modem™ (MSM™) MSM7xxx-series and MSM8xxx-series chipsets for cutting-edge processing performance and ubiquitous mobile broadband capabilities. The first mobile devices based on this collaboration would be expected to launch in mid-2010 and be compatible with the forthcoming Symbian Foundation platform.

"Nokia is very pleased to be in discussions with Qualcomm around designing mobile devices that can benefit from the high level of integration found on MSM chipsets," said Kai Oistamo, executive vice president, Devices, Nokia. "We are eager to demonstrate to the industry the possibilities that exist when innovative and open software is combined with advanced hardware solutions."

" Nokia and Qualcomm are leaders in advanced wireless technologies, and this new level of cooperation would bring exceptional leaps in mobile performance to people around the world. "

- Steve Mollenkopf

Executive vice president of Qualcomm and president of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies

"Nokia and Qualcomm are leaders in advanced wireless technologies, and this new level of cooperation would bring exceptional leaps in mobile performance to people around the world," said Steve Mollenkopf, executive vice president of Qualcomm and president of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. "We are very excited about the possibility of the substantial synergies between S60 software and MSM chipsets."

About Nokia

Nokia is the world leader in mobility, driving the transformation and growth of the converging Internet and communications industries. We make a wide range of mobile devices with services and software that enable people to experience music, navigation, video, television, imaging, games, business mobility and more. Developing and growing our offering of consumer Internet services, as well as our enterprise solutions and software, is a key area of focus. We also provide equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks.

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on CDMA and other advanced technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Qualcomm is included in the S&P 100 Index, the S&P 500 Index and is a 2008 FORTUNE 500 company. For more information, please visit www.qualcomm.com.